Fears, Tears, And Seven Years
by TwistedFury
Summary: At King’s Cross Station my dad told me to do better than Scorpius Malfoy in everything. Every Weasley-Potter knows the Malfoy's are bad news. But Scorpius, well, he's something else...but I didn't *have* to go and make friends with him...did I? RWxSM.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Harry Potter series. I don't own Rose, Scorpius, Albus, or any of the other characters. The events are purely fictional--obviously--and completely from the inner workings of my mind. Enjoy. All other standard disclaimers apply. **

* * *

Mum blinked back tears as I hugged her one last time before boarding the train. I couldn't tell if she was crying or if her eyes were watering because of the steam billowing out from beneath the Hogwarts Express. Mum whispered, "Always remember who you are, Rosie."

"I will, Mum," I promised, although I had no idea what she meant. I stepped back from my mother and turned toward my father. Several centimeters taller than most wizards on the platform, he was staring over their heads at someone. I followed his gaze and saw a man with platinum blonde hair standing on the opposite end of the platform in a long black cloak. Next to him stood who I assumed to be his wife, a shorter woman with dark features unlike her husband's. The man had his hand on a young boy's shoulder; the resemblance between them was shocking. I was sure they were related. The man nodded curtly to my father before turning who I assumed was his son around and whispering to him.

"Malfoy," my father snarled.

"Oh, Ron-" my mother started.

Dad leaned down to my level. "Now Rosie, I want you to make sure that you score higher than him in every test. That _goodness_ you inherited your mother's brains…"

"Ronald!" my mother snapped. "Don't go forming rivalries before they've even met!"

My father shrugged before adding, "Fine, fine. But if you marry a snobbish pure-blood like that young lady—"

"Ronald Bilius Weasley!"

I laughed as my petite mother cuffed my father 'round the head.

"Hurry up, Rosie!" I heard my cousin Albus Potter calling. I turned and looked at my cousin who was already aboard the train.

"Be there in a moment, Al," I shouted back. Turning to my parents I said goodbye one last time. "Bye Mum. Bye Dad." I hugged them both quickly and then turned to my Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry to say goodbye as well. Grabbing my cat, Mozart, who was resting in his carry-case, I shouted, "See you at Christmastime!" before boarding the Hogwarts Express.

**:~:**

Al and I dodged between scary looking seventh years and frightened first years as we tried to find a compartment to share. As we passed the booth where James and Fred sat Al reached for the handle. I swatted his hand away.

"Do you want to get in trouble before the official start of term?" I asked, eyeing whatever it was my cousins were leaning over. Only in their Second Year and they were already notorious at Hogwarts for playing many pranks and setting off an assortment of banned items from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Al had tried to count the number of Howlers Aunt Ginny had to send last year – said he lost count at about eighty-seven because of some incident involving a Fanged Frisbee and another first year that required her to send at least twelve a day for a week.

Al looked longingly into the compartment where his older brother sat. "Er…I guess you're right. Let's keep looking," he said reluctantly. I could tell he remembered the Howlers, too.

We trudged through two more coaches before finding an empty cubicle. Al slid the door open and I followed him inside. Storing Mozart above the seat, I sat across from him, staring out the window. Eventually Al yawned and spread out, trying, I assumed, to get some shut-eye before we arrived.

I smiled as my cousin began to snore loudly and reached into my robes for my uPlayer. I plugged in the headphones and searched for my favorite Muggle song. Leaning back, I looked out the window and listened to the lyrics. It was then that the door to our compartment squeaked open, drawing my attention from the passing scenery.

My eyebrow flew up as the boy with the blonde hair from the station cleared his throat awkwardly. I pressed the 'Pause' button on my uPlayer and pulled the headphones from my ears.

"Erm," he stammered. "Everywhere else is full. D'you mind?"

I looked over to where Al was strategically sprawled out across the seats and then scooted over to make room on the double seat next to me. "Not at all," I said.

The boy – a Malfoy, I remembered – smiled shyly as he sat down next to me.

"My name's Rose, by the way. And that oaf is Al."

The Malfoy nodded to my sleeping cousin. "I know. My father—he talks about you...your family. I'm Scorpius," he said, extending his hand.

I grasped it firmly and shook it. When I let go he immediately reached into his robes and pulled out an old, ratty paperback book.

"What are you reading?" I asked, shoving my uPlayer back into the pockets of my robes.

"It's a Muggle book," Scorpius answered. "You probably wouldn't know it."

"My parents enrolled me in Muggle schools before I got my Hogwarts letter," I said.

Scorpius looked at me, his eyes wide with what I took to be amazement. He extended the book to me. "It's a collection of plays by a Muggle named-"

"Shakespeare," I finished, recognizing the play names _Romeo and Juliet_ and _MacBeth_. I handed his book back. _This _was the boy Dad wanted me to best in every subject? But he was so nice and kind. Not at all like I had imagined him to be.

"I think his work is brilliant," Scorpius said, staring at the cover. "I have to hide it from my Mum and Dad, though. They aren't too keen on me reading Muggle books."

I smiled. "Your secret is safe with me."

* * *

Scorpius was sitting on the seat next to me with one foot folded beneath him and his body turned toward mine. Between us sat a pile of sweets including four boxes of Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, what looked like a million Licorice Wands and several other sweets I had never heard of but that Scorpius insisted I needed to try as a "rite of passage into the wizarding world". When I told him that my mother's parents were dentists and that she rarely allowed us to have sweets because they'd give us cavities, Scorpius immediately took it upon himself to pool our Galleons, Sickles and Knuts--and some of Al's--to buy at least one of everything on the lunch trolley.

Albus, still soundly asleep, didn't bother waking up when the lunch trolley came rolling past.

"Here, try this," Scorpius said, handing me a diamond-like box.

"What is it?" I asked, looking at the blue and gold carton.

"It's a chocolate frog!" he exclaimed as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I've never had one," I said, eagerly breaking the seal.

"Careful," he warned. "They'll jump away, so you've got to be quick."

I nodded, but when I opened the box the little bugger jumped out of my grasp.

"Quick! Don't let it get away!" he shouted.

"Get back here!" I shouted to the frog. I lunged forward as the frog jumped onto Al's face. His snoring sputtered and his eyes flashed open as I landed on him.

"Rosie! Get off!" he shouted, pushing me off him. I slid to the floor, laughing hysterically. From across the cabin I saw Scorpius laughing too, his face turning bright red beneath his white blonde hair.

Albus must've seen the chocolate frog jumping down the front of his robes because I heard the croaking stop and the sound of my cousin chewing.

"There are better ways to wake a guy up, y'know," Albus said angrily, licking the chocolate off his fingers while Scorpius and I calmed down.

When I could breathe again I wiped the tears from my eyes and said, "Sorry Al, the frog got away and…"

I could tell my cousin wasn't listening because he was staring coldly at Scorpius.

"What're you doing here, Malfoy?" he sneered.

I looked between my cousin and Scorpius, who seemed to shrink back at my Al's tone.

"He's sitting with us, dimwit," I said.

"I don't remember agreeing to that," Al spat at me, his glare at Scorpius only intesifying.

"Shut it, Al. You were asleep," I said. Turning to Scorpius I continued, "Just ignore him. He's always cranky when he wakes up."

Scorpius nodded mutely.

Al huffed and, crossing his arms over his chest, proceeded to stare irritably out the window.

I sighed uneasily, looking for some way to return the atmosphere to neutral territory. Seeing the tips of the towers of Hogwarts in the distance I smiled. "So Scorpius, which House are you hoping for?"

"Slytherin," I heard Al cough not so discreetly.

I threw another chocolate frog at his head. "Sorry about him."

"I don't want Slytherin," he said, challenging Al with a stare of his own.

"Really?" I asked. I internally winced at the surprise in my voice. "I thought that—Well you're a Malfoy and—Isn't that what your father wants?"

Scorpius shrugged. "Yeah," he said turning to me now. "That's what _he_ wants. But, I dunno…"

"Then—?" I trailed off.

"I'm hoping for Ravenclaw. Or, I guess Gryffindor wouldn't be so bad, either." He uttered the last part so quietly I wasn't sure if I had heard him correctly.

When he looked up at me from beneath his bangs, the expression on his face told me that I had. "Me, too," I said, still shocked. Scorpius smiled and Albus sank lower in the seat, muttering what sounded a lot like a long string of profanities that he must have gotten off of Fred, James and Uncle George.

* * *

**A/N: **I don't even know where this came from...I'm really not _that _big of an HP fanatic, but with the recent hype about the movie and an increase in my readings of Rose/Scorpius fanfictions, I fell in love with the idea of writing one of my own. So, what'd you all think? Should I continue this, or just leave it as it is? I mean, I know where I want to go with it, but it's gonna probably be a really long journey getting there, what with school starting up again. But I do have a second chapter written. I'm planning for there to be 7 chapters, not including the prologue--one for each year--divided into three parts each: one for Rose, Scorpius and Albus individually. But usually what I plan for never stays that way for long.

Anyway, this is my first attempt at writing Harry Potter FanFiction--or anything other than Zutara-- so I'd love all the input I can get! And a Beta would be really helpful in writing this, too. I'd prefer someone who has written for HP before, but of course anyone with writing experience of any kind is welcome too...So if you're interested just PM me or say so in a review.

Thanks, and please review!

--TF


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Harry Potter series. All other standard disclaimers apply. **

* * *

An elderly Rubeus Hagrid, still the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, led us into a small room just outside the Great Hall. Scorpius stood to my right and Albus to my left, looking instead of moody, nervous. I reached down and squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Al," I whispered. "It's not as if this is life or death."

Al scoffed. "Easy for you to say, Rose." He didn't use my nickname. That meant that either he was angry with me or that he was too nervous to be carefree. In this situation it was the latter. "Both your parents were Gryffindors. And you're smarter than everyone in Ravenclaw. You're honest, you're loyal. You don't have a bad bone in your body. You don't have to be worried about getting into Slytherin."

"What house do you think your parent's were in, nitwit?" I asked, shoving him with my shoulder.

"Yeah, but you're not named after a Slytherin Head of House. 'Severus'," he mumbled.

I sighed. "He wasn't evil, he was just—"

"Don't say it!" Al snapped. His bright green eyes glinted with anger. "It doesn't matter what he was. He _was_ a _Slytherin_."

Al snatched his hand from mine and stared ahead, his arms crossed over his chest. I looked away and down at my feet, blinking back tears. I felt Scorpius's questioning eyes on my face.

"He's just scared. That's all," I mumbled to him.

"Welcome First Years," a familiar voice stated above the din in the small room. "Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." I looked up to see Professor Neville Longbottom. When he saw Albus and I he winked, then continued, "For the next seven years the House that you will be sorted into tonight will be something like your family here at Hogwarts. You will have classes with the members of your House, sleep in the House dormitories, eat with the other House members, study with them and spend free time in the House Common Room…"

Looking around the group of First Years I saw several familiar faces: Lorcan and Lysander Scamander, Justin Creevy, and Phillius Longbottom, the Professor's son. There were so many people I didn't know, too. I wondered, while the Professor was speaking, which one of these faces would become my best friends here at Hogwarts? Which ones would I share a Common Room or dormitory with? Which ones would I play Quidditch with?

Scorpius nudged me and I realized that the Professor was saying something important. "…The staff has also asked me to inform you that due to some..._pranks _played by two Hogwarts students who shall remain nameless-" I rolled my eyes as I realized Professor Longbottom was talking about James and Fred, "-the Squid and the merpeople of the lake have become rather hostile. The Headmistress advises that students do _not_ go near the lake this year until relations with the fish...er, the lake population have been improved. And now, I believe that concludes all the announcements, so, if you will all follow me, the Sorting Ceremony will begin."

I heard Albus gulp loudly beside me and, forgetting that I was supposed to be mad at him for before, grabbed his hand and Scorpius' and walked into the Great Hall between my cousin and...well, I guess I'll call him my new friend.

* * *

**_Albus_**

The Headmistress was a stout woman by the name of Edwina Abbott who, with a slightly Scottish accent, announced that she would call us alphabetically by first name. She said this was because, "Stoodents teynd to cahl each uther by their lahst nahmes only. We wahnt to promote unity heere at Hogwarts. So we'll use the first nahmes not the lahst."

If Rosie hadn't been holding my hand I'm sure I would have collapsed of nerves. Leave it to my parents to name me Albus Severus instead of Severus Albus. I tried to remember how to breathe when she called, "Alboos Potter".

That was my name. Rosie pushed me forward and I stumbled up the stairs to the infamous Sorting Hat. The only thought running through my mind was, "Please not Slytherin. Anything but Slytherin. Gryffindor…"

I closed my eyes as Professor Abbott placed the Hat on my head. Immediately after, I heard a voice in my ear and practically jumped off the stool.

"Aahh, a Potter…," it cackled.

_Please, not Slytherin,_ I thought, remembering what my father told me about the Hat taking your preference into consideration.

"I can tell that you're very loyal—but Hufflepuff isn't for you. Brains don't seem to be your strength—"

_Not Slytherin. Anything but Slytherin_.

"—so Ravenclaw would be a mistake. You're full of ambition and courage, I can see."

_Not Slytherin._

"Why not, eh? It's a good House. You'd do exceptionally well there…" I shuddered when the Hat repeated, "Exceptionally." If the Hat were a person I imagined he would be stroking his chin while working this out.

_Please, not Slytherin_.

"I can see you'll do very well there…_very_ well. Not hindered by your family…hmm. Yes, I think you'll fit in nicely there…SLYTHERIN," the Hat shouted.

My eyes flashed open and I immediately searched the crowd of First Years for Rosie. I knew, without even seeing my own face that it was in the exact same expression as hers; eyes wide, mouth open and completely pale.

There was no applause, not even from the Slytherin table. The entire Great Hall was silent. There was no noise, not even from the Professor's table. I walked slowly down the steps as Professor Abbott called, "Amelia Hitchens".

I sank into an open seat at the end of the Slytherin table. Not even my first day at Hogwarts and I was already the odd Potter. The one to be mocked. I was the Slytherin Potter. The evil Potter.

The spineless, cowardly Potter.

I looked over to where my brother James was sitting, stunned, at the Gryffindor table, where I should be.

I'm in Slytherin. Am I even worthy of being a Potter?

* * *

**_Rose_**

I stood there, completely astounded, like someone had Stupefied me, as I watched Albus retreat to the Slytherin table. Beside me Scorpius whispered, "Was he just placed in—"

"Yeah," I breathed.

"Did the Hat make a—"

I shook my head. "The Hat never makes a mistake," I said.

We stood there, shocked. I hardly even registered the clapping and the shouts as Phillius Longbottom was sorted into Gryffindor.

My cousin, the son of Harry Potter – The Boy Who Lived – was just sorted into Slytherin.

I barely heard as Professor Abbott called my name. If Scorpius hadn't nudged me back to reality I would have stayed rooted to the floor. I trembled as Professor Abbott placed the Hat on my head. If Albus was sorted into Slytherin, maybe I would be too.

The Hat spoke in my ear almost immediately. "Ah, another Weasley," it sighed. "But you're different from your family—"

_Oh, Lord. Different in a bad, Slytherin way?_

"—much more intelligent, like your cousin—"

_Which cousin_, I wondered.

My head spun toward the Ravenclaw table where my older cousin Lucy – the Head Girl – sat. In light of Albus's recent episode I had forgotten about Lucy. She smiled at me encouragingly.

"But," the Hat continued, "everyone already knows that you are brilliant. Why beat a dead horse?" The Hat laughed a rough, throaty laugh. "Yes, I know exactly where to put you. You'll do well with him, I can tell…"

_Oh, no. Not with Albus in…_

"GRYFFINDOR," the Hat shouted.

At that moment about half the Gryffindor table, all sporting hair of some variation of red – or, in James' case, black – stood up and applauded. I looked to where Albus sat alone at the Slytherin table, smiling half-heartedly, trying to be happy for me, and waved to him before joining the majority of my family at the Gryffindor table.

* * *

**_Scorpius_**

I smiled and clapped as Rose was sorted into Gryffindor. I followed her red, bushy head of hair as she was greeted warmly by multitudes of other red heads—her cousins, I assumed.

There was one student between myself and Rose, a boy named Ryan MacDuff who climbed the steps to the Hat confidently. I smiled to myself, focusing on which House _I_ wanted to be sorted into. Gryffindor – it may be odd, and my family—well, my father—might be furious, but if Rose is there, then I'll at least have one friend.

The Hat shouted "HUFFLEPUFF" and I knew it was now my moment of truth.

"Scorpius Malfoy," Professor Abbott called. I was one of the last students remaining; there was no one to push me forward, so I did it myself.

Professor Abbott placed the Hat on my head and for a moment all I heard was quiet humming. I was confused because my father had told me that the Hat talks to you although, he said, "It knew _exactly_ where to place me. In Slytherin, just like all the great Malfoy's in our family. And you Scorpius," he had said, patting me on the shoulder, "are—will be—a _great_ Malfoy."

I remembered asking him, "But what if I'm not great?"

My father's gray eyes turned to ice and he stood up. "You are a Malfoy, Scorpius. Greatness is in our name." I shook my head to clear his voice.

It was then that I heard the Hat's voice in my ear.

"You are a tricky one Mr. Malfoy. Intelligence, loyalty, ambition and bravery. Very rare is it for someone to exhibit qualities from all the Houses. Let me think…" The Hat fell silent and I took this as a moment to think, _Ravenclaw, Gryffindor. Please, not Slytherin. Rose is in Gryffindor. I'd like to go to Gryffindor._

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy. I think you would do well in Gryffindor. Much more successful than in Slytherin…But still…No, it's got to be…But your family name…The determination that is inside you…I think…Gryffindor…"

I saw the students of the Great Hall leaning in, as if they didn't quite hear the announcement. With shaking hands Professor Abbott lifted the still muttering Hat from my head. Slowly I made my way to the Gryffindor table.

"The Hat said Gryffindor, didn't it?"

"I thought so."

"Bloody hell." I knew that had come from Rose's cousin James.

"Could it have made a mistake?"

I heard the students muttering as I walked between the tables. When I sat next to Rose she smiled at me.

"The Hat never makes a mistake," she whispered, then turned to clap for a recently called "Susan Burke".

I looked around, uncomfortable with the curious and disgusted stares of the Gryffindors and the furious and disgusted stares from the Slytherins. I couldn't decide which were worse; the ones from my own House or from another.

I trusted Rose, but I couldn't be sure that the Hat hadn't made a mistake after all.

* * *

**A/N: **Wow, I'm amazed at all the feedback this has gotten! Thanks to everyone who reviewed for their kind words! I hope no one got confused with the changes in P.O.V. The character's name in bold and italics signals the changes in P.O.V. I thought I'd change P.O.V.'s to show what the Hat said to each of the students, what are some views on that?

Special Shout-Out to **BruisedAndBattered: **Thank you for your review! The first one! Well, Rose and Scorpius are in the same house. And I think it'll be interesting to have a Potter in Slytherin.

That's all for now folks.


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